Method of treating food animals



United States Patent was METHOD OF TREATING FGOD ANHVIALS Oscar E,Schott, Amherst, Mass, assignor of fifty-two and one-half percent to TheTrustees of Amherst Co!- lege, a corporation of Massachusetts NoDrawing. Application December 16, 1952, Serial No. 326,343

7 Claims. (Cl. 99-107) My present invention relates to food animals andmore particularly to a process for improving the quality and .food valueof the meat of food animals such as cattle, ,goats, sheep and hogs. Thisapplication is a continua- .tion in part of my copending United Statespatentapplication Serial No. 198,221, filed November 29, 1950.

Various methods have been heretofore proposed for infjecting tastemodifying substances into cattle and other ffood animals. One suchmethod is described in my .Patent No. 2,516,923, granted August 1, 1950.This patent dealt with the injection of melted fat into an unevisceratedanimal carcass through the heart and the ichann'els ofthe bloodcirculatory system to obtain afde- :posit of' fat within and around themuscle bundles of'the meat to secure as closely as possible the desiredefiect of marblingl While the method taught by this patent is:scientifically sound, various considerations have rendered desirablethe fundamental changes and improvements tconstituting my presentinvention. These considerations include government regulations withrespect to slaughteriing procedures and economic, biological andanatomical ;problems to be considered more fully hereinafter.

The application ofthe method of my above patent ne- 'cessitated asubstantial departure from the generally-ac- .cepted and governmentapproved slaughtering and dressingproce'dures in that injection of thefood stuffs into'the whole animal including the viscera and the lungsproduced discoloration and otherwise modified the appear- :ance of theviscera, thus interfering with the inspection ithereof which isgenerally made to ascertain possible pathological conditions.

As is wellknown, the hide, the skeleton, the meaty fPOl'ilOIlS and allthe viscera of an animal'receive their :supplies of sugar, metabolicfood stuffs, hormones and :oxygentthrough'the heart by way ofthe aorta.From the :ao'rta, which emerges from the left ventricle of the Eheart,are derived all the centrally located great arterial :trunks whichsubdivide into smaller arteries, arterioles iand finally into thecapillaries which'perme'ate intimately :allthe tissues of the body.Every cell of the muscular itissue receives an individual branch fromone of these :arterioles and is provided with a basket of finecapillaries :for every individual muscle fibre. It is also well known:that the returning venous system is not a separate system :of channelsbut is a direct continuation of the arterial :system. Indeed, the.lumens of the venous capillaries are at first indistinguishable fromthe arterial capillaries and :it is only when the cross sections ofthesevessels become larger that they acquire the structuralcharacteristics which distinguish them from the corresponding arteriesof the body. The fundamental difference in the structure' of the veinsis the relative absence of elastic tissue which renders them lesscontractile and therefore less resistant to pressure. As a furtherconsequence of their :structure, the circulation in'veins is slower andmore easily impeded by obstructions.

.Theveinsi from the anterior portion of the bodyrcollect the returningblood from the neck and forequarters through the large jugular andbrachial system, which together with other less important veins,converge as the anterior vena cava and empty on the dorsal face of theheart into the so-called sinus venosus. The veins from the posteriorportion of the body collect as femoro-iliac veins which soon convergeinto the important vena cava. This vena cava receives blood not onlyfrom the hindquarters and from the sacro-lumbar region, but it alsocollects on the return circuit a large portion of the venous blood fromthe bowels, via the numerous intestinal and mesenteric veins. As will bemore clear from the discussion hereinafter, this latter circumstanceconstitutes one of the important reasons for practicing the method ofthe present invention. Another large portion of the venous blood fromthe digestive tract does not return directly into the general pool ofblood via the large systemic veins but does so indirectly via theadditional blood. network of the liver. Indeed, the venous blood,returning from the alimentary canal, and which is charged not only withrich food stuffs but also with some waste products from the digestivetract, collects into a very large vein, termed the hepatic portal. Thisvein, after entering the liver, divides into smaller veins, eventuallyforms an additional venous capillary and departs from the liver as thehepatic vein. The hepatic vein and the vena cava join behind the rightauricle with the anterior vena cava and unite Within the sinus venosus.

The foregoing description of mammalian blood circulation makes it clearthat it is impossible to inject a fiuid into the circulatory system. ofone part of the body without affecting the other parts of the body.because of the intimate interconnection of the venous and the arterialchannelsof this system since they all converge Within the centrallysituated heart. More particularly, when a portion of the circulatorynetwork is filled with a fluid under pressure, additional fluid islikely to employ a circuitous route in passing from one part of the bodyinto another. For example, it has been my experience that substancesinjected into a steer through the aorta at a point completely separatedfrom the upper aorta by a transverse cut at the level of the diaphragmwere seen to emerge from the open neck in spite of the removal of theviscera with all the visceral arteries and veins. It is clear that inthis case the injection fluids were using. circuitous channels acrossvast areas of firm fleshy tissue in order to reach, in the completeabsence of the larger blood vessels, the region of the open neck. Thereis, indeed, cumulative evidence brought forth in the scientificliterature of passage of considerable volumes of blood from the arterialsystem into the venous by direct arterio-venous connections, or shunts,which are intended to by-pass the smallest capillaries of 5 to 7 micrain diameter. Indeed, in the presence of slight obstacles, such as thepressure of one organ against another, a clot, the solidification ofinjection substances, etc, large volumes of blood can pass by means ofarterioles 5 to 7 times larger than the capillaries into venioles ofcorresponding transverse diameters.

One aspect of this vascular integration between the fleshy and thevisceral portions of the body has an important bearing upon theprincipal object of my invention, namely improvement in the taste andquality of meat. In the case of a total injection of a non-evisceratedfood animal, i. e., injection of melted fats or the like into the heartor into the aorta, the injection fluid passes through the large visceralarteries, the common coeliac, the anterior and posterior rnesenteric andother arteries into the capacious mass of bowels existing within theabdominal cavity of cattle and similar food mammals. It is important toobserve that the stomach, with its four divisions, comprises in growncattle a space capable of holding from thirty to sixty gallons ofmaterial. The small intestine, with an average length of 130 feet and adiameter of about two inches, represents an additional capacity of sevento eight gallons. To these enormous volumes there must be added thevolume provided by the large intestine including the colon and therectum comprising a total length of another forty feet. In addition tothese volumes, there is the sac of the greater omentum, which is formedof four layers of mesenteric sheaths and which covers the greater partof the abdominal cavity like an apron, a circumstance which increasesenormously the surface area of soft flacid tissues endowed with a richvascular network. When it is considered that there are no flat surfaceswithin the mucosa of the alimentary tract, but that these enormousexternally visible surfaces are increased within the inner, functionalside of the intestine by creases, ridges and villosities and that bloodvessels encase and surround every cell of these areas, the immensity ofthe surface areas covered by the blood network within the abdominalcavity will be realized.

The foregoing considerations concerning the passage of vast amounts ofblood over and within the diflerent functional segments of the digestivesystem have a direct bearing upon the problem of injecting heatedalimentary materials into a non-eviscerated food animal. The elementaryphysiology of digestion teaches that large amounts of volatile fattyacids are being formed within the caecum and colon of ruminants, asby-products of digestive of cellulose and carbohydrates. The lower fattyacids (butyric, Valerie, caproic, caprylic and capric) produced in thelarge intestine are distinguished by diasgreeable smells and tastes suchas are characteristic of rancid butter and of old goats. The digestivegases of the large intestine are mostly eliminated directly, but it iswell known that they are also absorbed in part into the blood. It is,therefore, understandable and inevitable that, when heated fattysubstances pass through the enormous surfaces of the alimentary canal,of the mesenteries supporting the bowels and of the omentu-m coveringthe abdominal cavity, they acquire much of the emanations of thedigestive gases; moreover, it is believed that the volatile lower fattyacids with their disagreeable odors and tastes become absorbed anddissolved within the passing fat which flows through these organs andsurfaces.

There is an additional source of olfactory and gustatory deteriorationof heated food stuffs which is caused by the inevitable admixture ofthese stuffs passing from the intestine into the liver by way of thehepatic portal system. Here again half-digestive fatty acids, fatdroplets in the form of an emulsion, glycogen and other sub stances areapparently being collected from the inner digestive surfaces to beconveyed into the liver via this important channel. Due to theinevitable shunting of the blood vascular network, the substancespassing from the gut join the regular venous system, and, in consequenceof this interrelation'of the arterial, venous and portal circulatorysystems, it has been observed that in many cases the liver of an animalpermeated with fatty substances by total injection through the heartwithout previous evisceration had acquired a pronounced gutty odor andtaste.

It is not necessary that substances which have been introduced by way ofthe aortia via the intestinal arteries and veins into the vena cava andinto the hepatic portal system should return to the heart and thenbecome rechanneled into the aorta to reach the other, particularly thefleshy parts of the body. The above mentioned shunt pass-ages betweenthe arterial and venous systems provide interconnection between allparts of the blood vascular system. The shunting effects will beincreased if small particles within the injection fluid, such as tornoff tissue debris, are clogging up portions of the capillary networkduring their passage. There will be further shunting if a particulararea of the body has been allowed to cool off more than others; as aresult of this cooling of the flesh of the animal, the injection fluidswill tend to become solidified within the capillary network, therebyresisting the passage of the liquid portions of the injection fluid.These liquid portions will be shunted off into more open and lessresisting channels of the blood circulatory system. It must beemphasized that while the shunting of blood with avoidance of thecapillary network is a normal physiological process, the shunting ofinjection fluids becomes aggravated because of the obstacles which arecreated during the injection process by particles conveyed into thefiner channels of the circulatory system and by the unequal temperaturewhich causes the solidification of whole areas of the body withsubsequent detour of the still warm injection fluids into other areas.

The above considerations will explain why it has often been observed asan after effect of total injection in a non-eviscerated food animal thatthe meat of the treated animal has acquired a gutty taste and mayoccasionally have an unpleasant odor caused by the dissolution of thelower fatty acids within the melted tallow. As would be expected, morepronounced gutty tastes were detected within the meat of animals inwhich the injection itself was considered to be a perfect success. Inthese cases the pressure applied was sufficient to convey the injectionsubstance over the totality of the bowels, thereby apparently causingthe injection fluids to be charged with products of metabolic activitiesof the alimentary canal with subsequent reshunting of the now malodorousinjection fluids into the edible fleshy parts of the carcass.

Thus the total injection of non-evis'cerated animals, While permitting asubstantially uniform and complete permeation of the fleshy parts of theinjected food animal, presents the undesired result of yielding meathaving objectionable odor and taste.

Another disadvantage of former methods of total injection ofnon-eviscerated animals is economic in character. More particularly,melted fats injected under pressure into the circulatory system of anon-eviscerated animal pass through the vast abdominal arteries into theenormous bulk of organs within the abdominal cavity and, after fillingthe innumerable arteries, veins and capillaries of the viscera, returnthrough the vast system of the vena cava, the portal vein, the hepaticveins and eventually into the sinus venosus behind the heart. Thesechannels, when filled, represent a very substantial volume. Their volumeis further increased by their extensibility. Furthermore, when theinjection is performed through the aorta in a n'on-eviscerated animal,the returning circuit passing via the right atrium into the rightventricle and from there into the pulmonary artery is apt to conveyenormous masses of melted fat via the pulmonary aorta into the capaciouspulmonary cavities. Finally, the walls of the vessels within themesenteries of the gut and of the abdominal cavity are so delicate andthe tissues within which they are encased are so tenuous that thebreaking through of injection fluids through the walls of these vesselsand escape of these fluids through the tissues of the mesenteriesfrequently occurs. As a consequence of this and in the absence of anyvisual control of the injection, vast portions of the abdominal and ofthe pulmonary cavities may be filled with gallons of costly food stuifs.These large amounts of injection fluids either filling the vessels ofthe viscera or the coelornic and pulmonary cavities constitute aconsiderable economic loss without the slightest benefit to theconsumer. As a result of this latter condition, it has becomeinadvisable to apply adequate pres: sure to an uneviscerated carcassbecause of the likelihood that rupture of the abdominal and puhnonaryvessels might occur. This is an important consideration in view of thefact that the operator is unable to see the extent of the injectionwhile the whole abdominal cavity remains unopened. The operator is alsounable to apply as much pressure as needed in order to fill the fleshyparts of the carcass with nutrient food studs in the desired amounts.

While the method of myaboveimentionedpatent does achieve substantial fatpermeation of allparts of the body, including the meaty parts, anyquantitative control over the permeation is impossible while the animalis intact. It is in addition extremely difficult tojudge how muchpressure should be applied to the injection apparatus in order toachievesatisfactory permeation of themeat of the animal, while simultaneouslycontrolling the rupture of vessels within the abdominal cavity and alsothe filling ofthe thoracic cavity with the totally was-ted injectionfluids.

The principal object of my invention has been to provide a novel andimprovedmethod for enhancing the food value-and quality of the meat offood animals.

More particularly, it has been anobject of the inventionto provide amethod of the above type which is adaptable for use with generalslaughterhouse procedures and which complies with thevan'ousgovernmental regulations relating to the slaughtering, inspecting. andprocessing of meat.

Another object of the invention has beento'provide a method of injectingedible food substances into thecirculatory system of a food animal inwhic h'permeation of the fleshy parts of the body with food stuffs whichhave passed over and within the organs of the digestivesystem isprevented.

Still another object of the invention has been to provide a food productwhich, while maintaining the normal aspect of meat tissue, .is fattenedand improved'in appearance, taste and marketability.

A further object of the inventionhasbe'eu to provide food substancesthrough the channels of the arterial'blood vascularsystem only, thereturning'veins of the body remaining uninjected, except for those whichcontribute to the vascular network of the fleshy parts .ofthe body.

Another feature of the invention has been to utilize the aorta and thechannels of the arterial system as a means for conveying a melted foodstuff into the fleshy partsof an animal under considerable pressure.

Still another feature of the invention has been to prepare the animalcarcass for injection by emptying-all of the viscera concomitant withthe removal of the great majority of the returning larger veins so as topermit control over the injection procedures.

Another feature of the invention has been the provision of particularranges of temperature and pressure at which injection of melted fatsinto an animal are preferably effected to achieve substantially completepermeation without damage to the meat.

Further objects, features and advantages of the invention will beapparent from the following description.

I have discovered that by utilizing the properties of the dorsal aortaand of the main peripheral arteries, with the exclusion of the visceralarteries, it is possible to fully inject the whole fleshy carcass of themeat animal with a melted alimentary material, the injection beingcarried out in the absence of all but the most terminal portion oftheviscera.

The method, in accordance with my invention, of treating food animals,after slaughter and while the animal is still warm, to improve thequality of the meat, comprises the steps of bleeding the animal,removing at least the portions of the viscera within the abdominalcavities from the'aninial with the exception of a portion of therectumcolon, theanus, and, in females,"the terminal portion of theuro-genital system, the removal of the viscera being of ela tic tissue.The thick layers of elastic tissue enable them not only to withstandgreat pressure, but also to cooperate. actively in the propulsion and inthe smooth distribution of fluids through the whole blood vascularnetwork. Indeed, as fluid under pressure is forced into a main arterialtrunk, only a part of the applied force actively advances the fluidthrough these large elastic channels. Anotherand considerable portion ofthis force expands the tubular arterieswith the numerous layers ofelastic tissue and thus provides an accumulation of potential energywithin the walls of these arteries. When the application of externalpressure is stopped, the acquired tension within the elastic wallsbecomes translated into kinetic energy which moves the fluid forwardsince, as will be described hereinafter, my method does .not'permit anyflow back. Thus, the great arteries of the body, which emerge from theaorta, constitute, together with the aorta andindependently of theactivities of the heart, a regulatory system for the distribution offluid. Of course, these fluids should be introduced into the body whilethe animal is not too cold and before rigor mortis. has set in. I havefound that after about three hours animals are generally too cold topermit satisfactory permeation. I have also found it preferable tointroduce the melted fat into the circulatory system within about onehour after death. if the animal is permitted to cool oh too much, or ifrelatively cold fluids are being. injected, the elasticity of the greatarteries still persists for a While, but the regulatory function in thehydraulic system represented by the proximal branches of the arterialsystem centered around the heart and the dorsal aorta deterioratesprogressively.

The utilization of the arterial trunks as injection sites cannot takeplace without some changes in the generally employed procedures ofdressing the carcass. However, while the changes contemplated provide asubstantial improvement in the results achieved, they do not representany fundamental departure from the traditional slaughtering procedures.

In the normal procedure for removing the contents of the thoraciccavity, the butcher generally pays no attention to that portion of theaorta, namely the ascending the brachio-cephalic trunks and of thesubclavian arteries during the dressing procedures, any attempt tointroduce injection fluids under pressure into the anterior region ofthe body must end in failure.

In the pelvic region, the damages inflicted upon the circulatory systemduring conventional dressing procedures are also far reaching. Thearteries of the pelvic region supply not only the loin and the rumpmuscles but also the whole of the hindquarters. Yet, during the removalof the bowels as conventionally practiced in packing :plants, theterminal portion of the aorta andthe external and internal iliacarteries and veins are generally severed, thereby leaving numerouschannels of the blood vascular system open in such a way as to renderthem essentially untraceable. To locate and to ligate these vesselsdemands the combined knowledge of an anatomist and the skill of asurgeon. If, on the other hand, these vessels are not ligated before theinjection, it is impossible to achieve the purposes of the injectionsince no pressure can be applied in the presence of numerous and vastopen channels. As a consequence of this situation, injection of thetotality of the carcass and particularly of the all important lumbararea and of the hindquarters can be effected only if a substantialportion of the rectum-colon and of the anus is preserved. In females,the Volvovaginal area is preferably also preserved. The preservedportion of the vulva-vaginal area may be termed the terminal portion ofthe uro-genital system. The term rectum-colon is used because in mostanimals it is diflicult to differentiate between the rectum and thecolon, at least in the portions thereof adjacent to each other. While itis probably true that the iliac arteries and veins could be preserved byvery careful removal of the bowels, this would involve too much detaileddissection, impractical on the slaughter floor.

The location and ligation or other blocking of the main arteriesemerging from the aorta which have been cut, particularly those leadingto the organs of the abdominal cavity, is another preliminary andnecessary condition to achieve permeation of the fleshy parts of thecarcass with injection fluids in an eviscerated animal.

, Finally, careful consideration of the properties of the alimentaryfats, and of the laws of hydrodynamics has permitted me to devise amethod by which melted fatty substances may be injected under specialpressure and temperature conditions into the carcass in such a way as toproduce the desired marbelizing within essential meat cuts concomitantwith the introduction of substantial quantities of fat into the meatyparts of the carcass.

The general method of this invention centers around four phases ofprocedure: (a) the general preparation of the animal for the injection;(b) special preparation of the animal according to the aims expressed inthe above disclosure; the actual injection procedure and (d) apparatusused and problems of temperature and pressure.

PHASE A OF THE METHODTHE GENERAL PREPARATION OF THE FOOD ANIMAL In thecase of food animals such as cattle, sheep, goats or hogs, the animal isslaughtered essentially in the conventional manner, but necessarily withsome consideration as to the extent of the wound inflicted for purposesof bleeding. In order to prevent mutilation of the neck arteries andveins, it is desirable that the carotids and the jugular veins besevered transversally, i. e., in the socalled kosher way, instead oflongitudinally. This procedure enables the operator to prepare the neckvessels either for use as injection sites or to permit easier and moreefiective ligation thereof to prevent the escape of injection fluids.During this part of the process, the animal is suspended by its hindlegs to facilitate bleeding. If no injection via the carotids iscontemplated, ligatures are applied to the two carotid arteries and alsoto both the jugular veins when injection is being performed through theheart or the aorta. Ligatures and clamps may be applied loosely at firstto permit some additional flushing of residual blood with the help ofsome of the injection fluids. If desired, a fluid other than thealimentary injection fluid may be used for flushing the residual bloodprior to injection of the alimentary fat or other food substance. Theseligatures can be fastened or tightened after the operator has assuredhimself that the injection is proceeding satisfactorily. The aboveenumerated steps can be modified as desired. The method of the inventiondepends on these steps only insofar as it is necessary to bleed theanimal prior to the injection. It is obvious that care must be taken toavoid undue damage to those channels of the arterial system which areused subsequently for injection sites.

PHASE B OF THE METHOD The special preparation of the animal for arterialinjection procedure comprises the following steps:

1. Preparation of the heart, aorta and of the main anterior trunks Afterseverance of the head, the animal is placed on the floor, according tothe usual procedures familiar in slaughterhouses, and skinned ventrally.While the hide will generally be removed, it is not necessary that thisbe done and, in fact, in many cases it is preferable that it be left onuntil after the injection is complete. It is important that the thoraciccavity be opened in such a way as not to injure the heart andparticularly the brachio-cephalie trunk which can easily be mutilated ifthe butcher applies his saw carelessly. While the animal lies on thefloor, it is preferable, but not necessary at this particular time, thatthe pericardium of the heart be opened and cut away in order to exposethe whole of the heart with the two auricles and the pulmonary arteryemerging from the right ventricle. For the purposes of the injection, itis important that the pulmonary artery be separated from the aorta whichlies dorsally and directly beneath it. The tough connective tissueattachments uniting the pulmonary artery with the ascending aorta aresomewhat difficult to dissect, but this is only an anatomical problemirrelevant to the method. It is also obvious that the pulmonary arterydoes not need to be severed from the aorta at this stage and the sameeffect of a separation of the pulmonary from the general aorticvcirculation can be achieved by ligature or by use of a special clamp.Great care should be exerted at this particular time to preserve thebrachio-cephalic trunk and also the left sub-clavian artery whichsupplies the left forequarters. The above steps can be performed whilethe animal is lying on the floor or while it is hoisted. Whenever theanimal is hoisted, it is convenient to remove the rest of thepericardium toward its dorsal aspect while the venous channels leadingto the heart, i. e., the whole sinus venosus and also the pulmonaryveins leading to the left auricle, are severed. This is done becausethere is no intention of injecting the lungs and the additional bulk ofthe anterior and of the posterior vena cava which collect all thesystematic blood from the body. The preservation or, on the contrary,the removal, of the sinus venosus is, however, a matter of choice.

A delicate operation, in view of the necessary evisceration of theanimal, consists in the removal of the trachea, the oesophagus and ofthe lungs, and it is evident that rupture of minor arterial vessels cannot be avoided on the slaughter floor in this operation. The exactprocedure for drawing the tubular trachea and the oesophagus through themaze of blood vessels within the most anteriorly situated cephalicpocket of the thoracic cavity is a matter of choice and of skill. Thisis a problem to be solved in collaboration with an anatomically skilleddemonstrator and the individual butcher. Several different methodsleading to identical and satisfactory results have been worked out.

If the heart is not removed at this time, it is preferable that theaorta remain attached thereto. The retention of the heart is not,however, an essential part of the procedure. It merely facilitates theinjection by providing easier access to the aorta. If it is not desiredthat the heart be retained, then the aorta should be severed as near aspossible to its point of emergence from the left ventricle at the levelof the aortic valves. After this is done, the aorta is then protrudingwithin the anterior portion of the thoracic cavity by a short undividedsegment,

This segment is the ascending aorta with the brachiocephalic trunk andthe left subclavian artery plainly visible. It should, of course, beunderstood that the oneness dorsal aorta within the thoracic cavityshould remain completely uninjured during the procedure ofthe retnovalo'ftlie lungs, the trachea,the bronchi, the oesophagus, the venousattachments and the pericardium.

2. Preparation of the abdominal cavity This important step involves theopening of the abdominal wall, which may be performed by conventionalmethods, but without the splitting of the anterior pubic region. It mustbe understood, however, that even this latter step can be'omittedwithout compromising too much the ultimate success of the operation.However, if the pubic symphysis is split, unnecessary leakages withinthe circulatory system result, thus demanding location of cut arteriesand veins and the application of additional ligatures or clamps. Theremoval of the bulk of the viscera should await the special preparationof the rectum. Substantially the entire viscera, with the exception ofthe terminal portion of theuro-genital system in females, a portionoftherectum colon and the anus will be removedsubsequently. Preferably, abouta one foot length ofthe uterus and vagina is preserved when a femaleanimal is being processed. When a pregnant female is beingprocessed,however, this portion of the uro-genital system is preferably removed.

3. The preparation of the rectum-colon (a) The butcher should seize therectum and strip it several times vigorously downward (and cephalad)inorder to displace any fecal matters therein toward that region of thecolon which willbe severed from it presently and which will remainattachedto the rest of the bowels when these are removed from the body.

(1)) A double ligature with strong string or the like should be appliedto the portion of the rectum colon which is to remain temporarily withinthe body and a similar ligature should be applied to the portion thereofwhich is to be removed at'once. These ligatures will be preferably about2 or 3 inches apart so as not to create any subsequent difficulties inhandling and inthe severance of the portion situated between theligatures.

(c) The supporting mesenteries attaching the terminal portions of theintestine including part of the colon are then carefully dissecteddorsally from the rectum-colon and the loop of intestines thus freed isdrawn toward the operator so as to make it protrude outside of the bodycavity;

(d) The rectum-colon is severed betweenthe twoligatures'and thedistal-portion of the severed and likewise ligated rectum-colon is madeto fall on the outside of the animal with the rest-of the intestines soas to avoid any possible contamination of the inner cavity of thecarcass. The point of severance of' the rectum-colon may be anyconvenient distance from the anus; but preferably is located about 12 to16 inches therefrom;

(e) A protective covering is preferably applied to the severed and dulyligated portion of the rectum which remains temporarily within thecarcass so as to'avoid'any possibility of extrusion of fecal mattersinto the body cavity, unlikely as this might appear after conscientiousperformance of the above described stripping procedures. There are manytypes of capsor coverings which maybe employed. The sole purpose of-thecap is to render the operation of severing the rectum safe from a publichealth standpoint. The cap will be secured by an additional ligatureover the rectalstump while the cut portion-of the rectum is held outsideof the body cavity.

It is evident thatthe non-splitting of the pubis, the preservation of aportion of l the rectum-colon, of the anus, and of the terminal portionof the uro-genital system in females, are all measures connected withthe: preservation of the arterial and the emerging partof the venousnetwork of the lumbo-sacral and pelvic regions. They may, therefore,with the exception of the non-splitting of the pubic symphysis, whichoperation may be omitted, be

iii considered as steps of the injection process itself. But, thespecial ligatures applied to the rectum-colon the severance of theportion situated in-between theligatures and the capping of the portionof the rectum-remaining temporarily within the carcass are solelymeasures dictated by considerations of hygiene and public health.

4. Emptying the abdominal cavity males, the external genitalia, are nowremoved in the usual manner with, however, special precautions involvingthe mesenteries by which the bowels are attached to the back. near theaorta so that the enclosed arteries: may be conveniently blocked byligation orotherwise. Special attention must be takennot to injure theaorta, and care must also be taken not to damage the large intestinalarteries. Moreover, when the enormous bulk of the stomach is detachedtogether with the appended oesophagus, special precaution should betaken not to section the common coeliac artery too short, a conditionwhich would render the subsequent ligation of this important stem for awhole bundle of visceral arteries very difficult. According to thepractices prevailing in slaugtterhouses, the liver is detachedseparately from the bowels and here again there are some anatomicalconsiderations involved. The details of the severance of the liver areof a purely technical nature that do not concern the principle of theinjection involved. It will suffice to state that at t'hisparticularstep it is easily possible to injure the aorta and the common coeliacartery with its three main visceral branches, a situation which willinterfere with the subsequent injection.

5. Final preparation for injection At this time the first ligatures orclamping of the main severed arteries leading to the removed bowelsshould be applied. It should be understood, however, that some of theseopenings will be discovered only after the injection procedures arebegun. Special preparation of the pelvic portion of the vena cave isdesirable. This vessel collects all the blood from the lumbo-sacralregion and also from the hindquarters. It is preferable, although notabsolutely necessary, to provide control of the backflow in this largevessel by applying thereto first a temporarily halfopen ligature whichwill permit a more complete flushing of remaining blood masses after thebeginning of the injection. Subsequently, a tight ligature may beapplied to that blood vessel since it then communicates with only thefleshy parts of the carcass and not with the visceral portions thereof.

PHASE 0 OF THE METHOD ACTUAL INJECTION PRGCEDURE The animal, which maybe either suspended by its limbs or disposed horizontally, is now readyfor injection. The actual injection procedures are based essentially onthe foregoing considerations concerning the properties of the peripheralarteries. Several injection sites such as the carotids, thebrachio-cephalic trunk or the iliac arteries can be and have been usedwith satisfactory results. It is preferable, however, to utilize thedorsal aorta since this vessel can be reached centrally according to theprocedure to be set forth. There are three principal approaches whichwill give satisfactory results:

1. Injection through the carotid arteries It is possible to inject theanimal through one carotid only or simultaneously through both the leftand right carotids. In order to produce the best results, the animal ispreferably suspended by its forelimbs to take advantage of thegravitational forces. But this is by no means neces- These precautionscomprise not cutting themtoo sary if an apparatus with sufficientpressure is available.

If one carotid only is used for the injection, it is obvious that theother carotid should be strongly ligated. Another prerequisite of theoperation is the ligation of the ascending' aorta if the heart has beenremoved, since in that case the aorta is now wide open. If the heart waspreserved, the left ventricle of the heart will serve as a reservoir andthe injection fluids, after filling the cavity of the left ventricle,will mount from the ascending aorta into the brachio-cephalic system,into the left subclavian artery and into the whole aortic system therebypermeating the rest of the carcass. While feasible, this method has thedisadvantage of introducing large quantities of fluids through channelsof a smaller bore than the main distributing channel, namely the aorta.

2. Injection through the iliac arteries The insertion of the cannula canbe made either through one of the iliac arteries, internal or external,from the left or the right side of the body or in the region of theshank by means of a femoral artery or even lower, through one of thetibial or peroneal arteries. These latter procedures involve specialdissections and generally demand the cutting open of sizable pieces offlesh, but adequate results in using these methods can be and have beenachieved. It must also be considered that in this case the injection ofthe other parts of the body proceeds in the reverse direction, i. e., inthe direction of the heart instead of away from it.

The procedure of injection of liquid substances through the iliacarteries involves, therefore, a double operation: in a first step thecannulae are inserted in one or in both of the iliac arteries or in oneor both femoral arteries to cause the injection fluids to follow thenormal direction of the blood stream, i. e., from center to theperiphery; in a second step the cannula will be reinserted into the samevessels or into the lower aorta in such a way as to point in thedirection of the head ofthe animal. In other words, the injection of thecarcass, if performed through the iliac arteries, involves injection offood stuffs in two opposite directionsone downward and caudal for thepermeation of the rump and the lower extremities, the other upward andtoward the head for the perfusion of the loin, the whole back region,chest, neck and the upper extremities. This is one of the reasons whythis approach is not preferred.

3. Injection through the heart If the heart is not removed, injectioncan be effected therethro-ugh. An incision is made within the walls ofthe left ventricle and the nozzle of the injection tube is directedupward in such a way as to avoid the bicuspid valves. The nozzle ispushed through the aortic valves and its enlarged terminal portionshould reach the portion of the aorta generally termed the ascendingaorta. The nozzle thus communicates with that portion of the aorta whichis undivided and which, therefore, commands the brachio-cephalic trunk,the dorsal aorta proper and obviously also the left subclavian arterywith all the other intercostal, vertebral, visceral and iliac arteries.

4. I rzjec-tion into the aorta after the removal of the heart Thisparticular method, i. e., injection into the aorta with the heartremoved, differs but little from the previous one. However, theascending aorta should be carefully prepared. This short piece of theaorta should be secured very tightly in order to withstand the pressureapplied through the nozzle. Care must also be taken that thebrachio-cephalic trunk receives adequate injection. instead of injectingthe fat into the ascending aorta, the injection may be made into thatportion of the aorta generally termed the descending aorta. In thiscase, the injection is preferably made at a point in the descendingaorta more remote from the heart than the emergence fro-m the aorta ofthe left brachial artery.

In all the injections through the heart or directly into the aorta orthrough the carotids or via the arteries of the hindquarters, anadditional precaution concerned with adequate permeation is desirable.Since, as explained above, the large arterial vessels can be expandedconsiderably and can accumulate large amounts of potential energy, thisproperty can be taken advantage of in securing better sectionalpermeation. Indeed, I have found that by specially preparing three ormore places along the aorta, excellent regional permeation along thelongitudinal axis of the body can be obtained in several separateoperations. The placing of a temporary clamp or a temporary blocking byany other suitable device will produce, after application of pressure, asubstantial swelling between the point of entrance of the nozzle and theblocked portion of the aorta. After the pressure in the injectionapparatus is reduced, the accumulated potential energy in the aorta orin the brachio-cephalic trunk will serve to propel the accumulatedinjection liquids therein into the areas which are supplied by thesevessels.

This aspect of my process involves selecting one or more points alongthe aorta and the iliac arterie which are to be blocked. When a selectedpoint along the artery has been blocked, injection is commenced asdescribed above. Suflicient fluid is injected to cause the artery toswell between the point of injection and the blocked point. After theartery has been filled to the desired degree, pressure is reduced. Asdescribed above, the artery will then contract, forcing injection fluidinto the smallest capillaries communicating with the blocked arterybetween the point of injection and the blocked point. Of course,substantial permeation of the capillaries takes place while the arteryis being filled. When permeation of the selected area of the carcass iscomplete, the clamp or blocking is removed. The remainder of the carcassmay then be filled by further injection or the clamp or blockage may beapplied to another point farther away from the point of injection thanthe original block age point. If the latter procedure is used, theapplica tion of pressure to fill the artery and the subsequent reductionof pressure may be carried out in the same manner as described withrespect to the first blockage. Subsequent blockage steps may beemployed, and each will be carried out in the same way. I have foundthat much better permeation of most meaty parts of the carcass isachieved by this division thereof into sections which are individuallyfilled. By dividing the body into sections and individually filling thesections under pressure, as described, relatively small capillarieswhich would not be filled because of shunting effects will be suitablyfilled with injection fluid. These shunting effects may result fromvarious causes, such as clogging of capillaries by tissue particles,local cooling, local pressure blocks, early rigor mortis and differencesin capillary size.

Any number of these regional blocking areas can be selected at the willof the operator. I have found it preferable to separately andconsecutively inject four particular portions of the carcass: (a) Firstthe anterior part of the body is selected. The aorta should be blockedat the general level of the fourth or fifth rib. In this case, theinjection nozzle may be inserted either in one or both carotids, intothe heart or into the ascending aorta. (b) After completion of thisstep, a second temporary clamp or a blockage by any other means isapplied on the aorta in the general area of the diaphragm, therebyproducing substantially complete permeation of all the intercostalmuscles. After the inflated aorta has visibly deflated itself, after areduction in injection pressure, permeation of those parts of the bodycommunicating With this section of the aorta will be substantiallycompleted. The operator should supply fluid pressure to keep the aortafilled until he judges that enough fluid has been provided to achievethe desired permeation. (c) A particularly advantageous and importantthird control area is provided by clamping the aorta in the sacralregion which supplies the important lumbo sacral area of the body.Afterthe clamphas been applied to the aorta in this region, the operatorapplies pressure to fill this section of the aorta with sufficient fluidto provide substantially complete permeation of the lumbo sacral area.After the operator reduces the pressure, contraction of the aorta willcomplete the desired permeation of this portion of the body. (d) A finalarea to be localized and permeated is selected by separately clampingthe iliac arteries on both .sides of the body, thus insuring properpermeation of the important and bulky rump region and also the region ofthe hind legs. The application .of pressure to fill these arteries andto supply fluid to the corresponding portions of the body and thesubsequent release of pressure may be carried out in the same Way asapplied to the other sections of the body.

It should be understood that the local and selective permeation mayfollow an overall permeation, may be followed by an overall permeation,or both, or may be effected without an overall permeation step. Thelocal and sectional permeation steps may, if desired, be omitted. ineffecting the sectional permeation, it is preferable to employ onlyasingle injection site.

The position of the animal during the injection procedure is a matter ofchoice. For example, the animal can either-(a) be suspended by the hindlegs; (b) be hoisted by the forelegs; (c) lie horizontally on a suitablesupporting surface. The latter solution presents advantages, the chiefone residing in the fact that the position of the injection apparatus inrelation to the :injectionsite need not be varied. This latter methodprovides the additional advantage of permitting better control over theinevitable channels of escape of injection .fiuids through severedarteries emerging from the aorta, which will becom'e'apparent after thebeginning of the injection procedures. It is preferable that the initialinjection, pressure he rela tively low. The purpose of using a lowinitial pressure is to permit discovery of the main channels of escapefrom the severed arteries which supply the various organs. When located,these arteries have to be ligated or clamped ofii with hemostaticdevices or with other suitable clamps capable of withstandingconsiderable pressure.

It is essential that the injection pressure he applied for a timesufliciently long to permit the filling of the vascular network and alsoof the returning veins which are actually located within the meat partsof the animal and not in the viscera. It is, in addition, important toclamp off or ligate the portion of the vena cava in the pelvic region asit emerges from the ischiatic region. This portion can easily be foundand secured witha strong clamp thus creating a closed circuit withinthat limited area. Similar clamping should also be performed in theanterior or thoracic region for the main jugular and brachial veins.

Before the nozzle is withdrawn, the main injection site should beblocked by tying, clamping, or, if desired, by freezing the opened endof the artery to prevent the escape of the substances so introduced intothe body. While it is not absolutely necessary to tie or otherwise blockthe proximal portion of the injection artery, omission of this step isboth undesirable and wasteful. As a further step in the procedure, theanimal should now be chilled for as long a time as feasible within thepractices of slaughterhouses. It is also highly desirable that coldwater be sprayed upon the aorta so as to produce hardening of theinjection fluid within this channel, this being particularly importantbefore splitting of the carcass is effected. This ends the actualinjection procedures and the next steps, such as the removal of theheart, if not done before, of the remaining portion of the rectum-colon,the anus, and of the terminal portion of the uro-genital system, of thedorsal aorta and the other blood vessels protruding from the carcassand, of course, also the splitting of the carcass are steps to completethe usual dressing procedures.

'14 PHASE D- OF THE METHOD-FAPPARATUS USE D ANDPROBILEMS OF TEMPERATUREAND PRES- SURE The apparatus used will generally comprise a tankconcontaining the injection fluids whichare kept under substantiallyconstant temperature conditions. The contents ofthe tank may be conveyedthrough a flexible ho'se which is supplied with either a pump or anyother device permitting the liquid to be conveyed into the injectionnozzle under a desired pressure. Alternatively, the liquid could bemaintained under suitable pressure conditions in a tank equipped withpressure control devices.

The nozzle employed will vary in size depending upon whether it isinserted into the aorta, into the carotids, into the brachio-cephalictrunk, into a subclavian artery or into branches of the iliac andfemoral arterial systems. It is preferably enlarged at itsterminalportion in order to facilitate fastening thereof-within slipperyvessels to withstand pressure and recoil during injection procedures.

Suitable clamps should be employed to hold the injection nozzle inplace. However, ligatures with strong string, although morelaborious andtime consuming,wi1l achieve satisfactory results.

Problems of temperature It is evident that the injection fluid, whichconsists of melted fats, should be injected at a temperature which willfacilitate and secure the most complete permeation of the tissue of thefood animal. The fats employed should havea melting point above. about75 P. so that theywill be solidin the final'meat product at normal roomtemperatures. If the food substances injected are vegetable fats, then atemperature "within the range of about to F. is preferred. When,however, beef tallow, other animal fats or the like'are being injected,then it is obvious that at the body temperature, around 100" E, the fatis still much tooviscou's. For theinj'ection, therefore, of beef tallowor the like into the carca'sses of food animals, temperatures within therange of about 110 to 150 F. are preferred. Some fats, such as thosehaving a stearinic fraction, have relatively high melting temperatures,such as about F. Obviously, the injection temperature should not bebelow the melting temperature even though the temperature ofsolidification is lower thanthe melting temperature, as is the case withbeef'fats. The choice of the temperature at which an animal is beinginjected depends upon the melting point and the viscosity of the fatused and also on the. temperature of theanimal .to be injected. Thetemperature of the animal depends upon the length of time it has beendead and the type of animals, i. e., cattle, sheep, hops, calves or thelike. Larger animals, i. e., those weighing over about 400 pounds, suchas full grown cattle, will obviously cool off more slowly than smalleranimals. If conditions are most propitious and the animal is ready forinjection within a relatively short time, such as about 30 minutes afterslaughter, then the carcass, being still at a temperature close tonormal body temperature, can be advantageously injected with fats keptwithin the range of about 110 to 120 F., if the stearinic fraction isnot present in the fat. If the preparation of the animal has beendelayed and the animal has been cooling off for some time so that itstemperature is somewhat below normal body temperature, or with a warmanimal if the fat has a relatively high melting point, then atemperature within the range of about 120 to F. is preferable. If theslaughter floor is cold or if the animal has been'cooling off for solong that the carcass is well below body temperature, then a fluidinjection temperature within the range of about 135 to F. is preferable.Higher temperatures can be used, but there is considerable likelihoodthat they will damage, or at least cook, the tissues if they reachtemperatures as high as about F. Injection should be can ried out Withinthree and preferably within one hour after death.

The foregoing preferred temperature ranges, which are intended for largeanimals such as full grown cattle, are not intended to be rigid sinceobviously the optimum temperature will tend to vary with varyinginjection pressures and with the viscosity of the injected fat. Smalleranimals such as calves, goats and sheep, weighing less than about 400pounds, cool off more rapidly than larger animals. For such smalleranimals, satisfactory results can generally be achieved withtemperatures of about 110 to 120 F. during about the first thirtyminutes after death, temperatures of about 120 to 130 F. during aboutthe first hour after death, and temperatures of about 130 to 150 F, foranything over an hour after death. Again, the optimum temperature willtend to vary with a number of factors so that these ranges and times arenot intended to be exclusive but are merely given as examples ofsuitable practical values. The lowest practical temperature will, ofcourse, depend on the melting point of the fat used.

Problems of pressure To convey viscous fluids into the finestcapillaries amidst the dense tissues of a cooling animal requiresconsiderable pressure. It was found that pressures of the order ofpounds, at the injection site, if not otherwise aided by gravitationalforces in the suspended animal, are clearly insufiicient to producesatisfactory results in large animals such as full grown cattle. It isnecessary, in order to permit adequate permeation of the tissues,particularly of older and tougher large animals, to apply pressureswhich are above pounds and preferably within the range of about 20 to 30pounds per square inch at the site of the injection. A pressure lyingwithin the range of about to 30 pounds per square inch at the site ofthe injection has been found generally satisfactory empirically. Thepressure required is, of course, dependent on the temperature andviscosity of injection fluid and the animal body temperature. A lowerfluid pressure is required for higher injection and body temperatures,and vice versa. If insufficient pressure is applied or if the fluids aretoo viscous, the injected fat will enter the paths of the larger bloodvessels and avoid the more tenuous and pressure resisting smallervessels, especially the arterial and venous capillaries, thus creatingundesirable inequalities in permeation. For the smaller animals, i. e.,those weighing less than about 400 pounds, injection pressures lyingwithin the range of about 5 to 12 pounds per square inch at the site ofthe injection will generally produce satisfactory permeation.

My new method of conveying food stuffs into the edible, andsubstantially only into the edible parts of the eviscerated carcass ofmeat animals such as cattle, goats, sheep and hogs, makes use of theremarkable anatomical and physiological properties of the large arteriesof the mammalian body, thus providing a practical and industriallyconvenient approach to the important problem of processing meat directlyon the slaughter floor. The method presents several substantialadvantages over the previously devised ones: (1) It satisfies therequirements of the animal inspection laws. The modifications inslaughtering procedure proposed lie within the law because they do notinterfere either with the inspection of the viscera, since this isremoved from the body before the injection, nor with the detection ofpathological conditions within the unsplit carcasses, since these can beexamined before the injection procedures begin. (2) My method avoids thepassage of hot injection fats over large areas of the viscera with theirmesenteries, particularly of the large intestine, where the fats tend toacquire an unpleasant gutty odor and taste. (3) My method avoids thedisadvantage inherent in the previous methods of injecting largequantities of valuable food stuffs into the blood vascular channels ofthe alimentary canal, the vast mesenteries of the abdominal cavity andthe tenuous passages of the lungs. These channels, because of theirlocation within the soft tissues of the body and because of their thinand extensible walls, can absorb considerable volumes of the liquid, ahighly uneconomical condition over which the operator has no control ifinjection is performed into an animal with the viscera intact. (4) Mymethod of injection of eviscerated carcasses permits the application ofmuch higher injection pressures, thereby enabling the operator to injectappreciable amounts of food stuffs into the more resisting, meatyportions of the carcass. The meat product so obtained is desirable fromthe consumers point of view because it provides an enriched andotherwise improved product; it becomes consequently advantageous for themeat packer because of the substantial increase in weight and quality ofthe carcass. (5) Finally, my new method of injecting the carcasses ofmammals after evisceration has the advantage of visual control over theprevious methods devised. The operator can detect leakages from severedand ruptured vessels, and promptly tie or clamp these off. Instead ofoperating blindly, as in prior methods, the operator, with the animal infull sight, can judge the effect of the injection, the amounts of foodstuffs within the carcass and the areas deserving special attention.

The meat product produced by practicing my method, as described herein,is a more palatable and more valuable product than those produced byprior methods. More particularly, the method of my invention achievesmore complete permeation of the smaller channels of the circulatorysystem. Furthermore, the meat product secured in accordance with myinvention does not have the undesirable taste and odor characteristicswhich frequently result from the prior art processes.

While my invention has been described in connection with specific steps,it should be understood that various modifications thereof will occur tothose skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

l. The method of treating food animals, after slaughter and while theanimal is still warm, to improve the quality of the meat, whichcomprises the steps of bleeding the animal, removing at least theportions of the viscera within the abdominal cavity from the animal, theremoval of the viscera being carried out in such a manner as to protectfrom substantial damage the arteries supplying blood to the viscera,blocking said arteries, and introducing under pressure into a majorartery of the animal a melted edible fat which has a melting point aboveF., said major artery being selected from the group consisting of theaorta, the carotid arteries, the iliac arteries, the femoral arteriesand the brachial arteries, said introduction being carried out undersulficient pressure to cause said fat to infuse and permeate asubstantial portion of the carcass.

2. The method of treating food animals, after slaughter and while theanimal is still warm, to improve the quality of the meat, whichcomprises the steps of bleeding the animal, removin at least theportions of the viscera contained within the abdominal cavity from theanimal with the exception of the terminal portion of the uro-genitalsystem in female animals, and a portion of the rectum-colon includingthe anus, the removal of the viscera being carried out in such a manneras to protect from substantial damage the arteries supplying blood tothe viscera, blocking said arteries, and introducing under pressure intoa major artery of the animal, a melted edible fat having a melting pointabove 75 B, said introduction being carried out under sufficientpressure to cause said fat to infuse and permeate a substantial portionof the carcass.

3. The method of treating food animals, after slaughter and while theanimal is still warm, to improve the quality of the meat, whichcomprises the steps of bleeding the animal, opening the abdominal wallof the animal, displacing fecal matters in the rectum-colon toward thecolon, severing the rectum-colon at a point substantially free of fecalmatter, removing at least the portions of the viscera contained withinthe abdominal cavity from the animal with the exception of the severedportion of the rectum-colon adjacent to the anus, the anus, and, infemales, the terminal portion of the urogenital system, the removal ofthe viscera being carried out in such a manner as to protect fromsubstantial damage the arteries supplying blood to the viscera, blockingsaid arteries, and injecting a melted edible fat having a melting pointabove 75 F. into a major artery of the animal, said injection beingcarried out under suflicient pressure to cause said fat to infuse andpermeate a substantial portion of the carcass.

4. The method of treating food animals, after slaughter and while theanimal is still warm, to improve the quality of desired meaty portionsof the carcass, which comprises the steps of bleeding the animal,removing the viscera from the animal with the exception of a terminalportion of the rectum-colon, the anus, and, in females, a terminalportion of the uro-genital system, the removal of the viscera beingcarried out in such a manner as to protect from substantial damage thearteries supplying blood to the viscera, blocking said arteries,blocking a major artery supplying blood to the meaty portions of thecarcass at a point remote from the heart, injecting a melted edible fathaving a melting point above 75 F. into said major artery at a pointnearer the heart than said blocked point thereof, said injection beingcarried out under sufiicient pressure to expand said major arterybetween the point of injection and the blocked point and to cause saidfat to infuse and permeate the desired portions of the carcass havingblood channels communicating with said major artery between the point ofinjection and the blocked point.

5. The method of treating food animals, after slaughter and while theanimal is still warm, to improve the quality of desired portions of themeat, which comprises the steps of bleeding the animal, removing theviscera from the animal with the exception of a terminal portion of therectum-colon, the anus and, in females, a terminal portion of theuro-genital system, the removal of the viscera being carried out in sucha manner as to protect from substantial damage the arteries supplyingblood to the viscera, blocking said arteries, blocking the aorta atselected spaced points thereof remote from the heart, introducing underpressure into the sections of the aorta between the heart and thenearest blocked point and between adjacent blocked points a meltededible fat which has a melting point above 75 F., said introduc- 18 tionbeing carried out under sufficient pressure to expand said sections ofthe aorta and to cause said fat to infuse and permeate the desiredportions of the carcass having blood channels communicating with theaorta along said sections thereof.

6. The method of treating food animals, after slaughter and while theanimal is still warm, to improve the quality of desired portions of themeat, which comprises the steps of bleeding the animal, removing theviscera from the animal with the exception of a portion of therectumcolon, the anus and, in females, a terminal portion of theurogenital system, the removal of the viscera being carried out in sucha manner as to protect from substantial damage the arteries supplyingblood to the viscera, blocking said arteries, blocking the aortaadjacent one of the thoracic ribs, adjacent the diaphragm and at a pointin the sacral region and blocking the iliac arteries at intermediatepoints thereon, introducing under pressure into the sections of theaorta and the iliac arteries defined by said blockages a melted ediblefat which has a melting point above B, said introduction being carriedout under sufficient pressure to expand said sections of the aorta andthe iliac arteries and to cause said fat to infuse and permeate thedesired portions of the carcass having blood channels communicating withsaid sections of the aorta and the iliac arteries.

7. The method of treating food animals, after slaughter and while theanimal is still warm, to improve the quality of desired portions of themeat, which comprises the steps of bleeding the animal, removing theviscera from the animal with the exception of a terminal portion of therectum-colon, the anus and, in females, a terminal portion of theuro-genital system, the removal of the viscera being carried out in sucha manner as: to protect from substantial damage the arteries supplyingblood to the viscera, blocking said arteries, blocking at a plurality ofspaced points at least one artery selected from the group consisting ofthe aorta, the carotid arteries and the iliac arteries, introducingunder pressure into the sections of said one artery defined by saidblocked points a melted animal fat which has a melting point above 75F., said introduction being carried out under sutficient pressure toexpand said sections of said one artery and to cause said fat to infuseand permeate the desired portions of the carcass having blood channelscommunicating with said sections.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,516,923 Schotte Aug. 1, 1950

1. THE MEHTOD OF TREATING FOOD ANIMALS, AFTER SLAUGHTER AND WHILE THEANIMAL IS STILL WARM, TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF THE MEAT, WHICHCOMPRISES THE STEPS OF BLEEDING THE ANIMAL, REMOVING AT LEAST THEPORTIONS OF THE VISCERA WITHIN THE ABDOMINAL CAVITY FROM THE ANIMAL, THEREMOVAL OF THE VISCERA BEING CARRIED OUT IN SUCH A MANNER AS TO PROTECTFROM SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE SAID ARTERIES, SUPPLYING BLOOD TO THE VISCERA,BLOCKING SAID ARTERIES, AND INTRODUCING UNDER PRESSURE INTO A MAJORARTERY OF THE ANIMAL A MELTED EDIBLE FAT WHICH HAS A MELTING POINT ABOVE75*F., AND MAJOR ARTERY BEING SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF THEAORTA, THE CAROTID ARTERIES, THE ILIAC ARTERIES, THE FEMORAL ARTERIESAND THE BRACHIAL ARTERIES, SAID INTRODUCTION BEING CARRIED OUT UNDERSUFFICIENT PRESSURE TO CAUSE SAID FAT TO INFUSE AND PERMEATE ASUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF THE CARCASS.